There are various types of systems which automatically answer an incoming call and maintain a telephone line connection which are broadly defined as automatic telephone answering systems. These systems include, for example, automatic telephone message recording equipment, message recording systems having remote access message playback, automatic telephone call forwarding equipment, automatic dial-up alarm receiving equipment, automatic answering data entry systems, and other telephone devices used in association with modern equipment. Many of these systems typically have a method of recording and time stamping messages which are received. In general, it is cost prohibitive for these systems to include battery backup to allow continuation of clock function during periods without power, or power-cycles. Accordingly, these existing methods, typically have no means to account for power cycles or the length of time power is off to the system. When power is shut off to the system and then returned, these devices continue to time stamp recorded messages with an incorrect time. When the user plays back the message, there is no indication that a power cycle has been experienced and the time stamps are inaccurate.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a simple and cost effective apparatus for indicating the presence of a power cycle that overcomes the disadvantages described above.